The Strenght Within
by Optimus Magnus
Summary: Pretty shamless peice of fun here.  Hopeless romantics rejoice and enjoy


The Strength Within  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own shit except for Heromon. 'Hero' is property of Chad Kroger. This is a shameless 'Takato riding in on a white horse to save Jeri' fic at then end of Digimon Tamers, all hopeless romantics enter and enjoy  
  
************* Takato was standing on a beach in Osaka, his cousin Kai was running towards him followed by Guilmon  
  
"Takato, are you okay? Guilmon tells me you've been really down lately" Kai said, demanding to know what was going on.  
  
Takato didn't answer and just clenched his fists tighter; Kai could see a gold chain hanging out of one of his hands  
  
"It took her from me Kai, and I couldn't stop it" he said, tears falling from his eyes  
  
"Ooh. Don't be sad Takato; we'll get her back" Guilmon said  
  
He patted Takato's arm affectionately but his Tamer made no verbal response but they could both see a fire in Takato's eyes that quite frankly, no one had ever seen. But it was no wild fire, but rather a slow and smouldering fire that was stoked with a regular fuel  
  
[The D-Reaper, Guilmon said it took someone and is using them to power itself] Kai thought.  
  
He turned to the red dinosaur Digimon "Who has the D-Reaper actually taken?" Kai asked him, seeing Takato would not speak to him  
  
"A girl named Jeri. A friend of Takato's. A friend of everybody, because she was a Tamer too, but Beelzamon killed her partner Leomon and took his data. But now Beelzamon is our friend and he tried to help Jeri. He nearly died trying too" the small Digimon explained as Takato went inside to sleep; it was kind of late.  
  
As Takato slept, a song from his favourite movie, 'Spider-Man' was playing, in the interests of taking his mind off Jeri and trying to sleep with these new and painful emotional responses in his body; he began to sing along quietly to it, waking Guilmon in the process. Guilmon had heard the song many times and he decided it should be the theme song of all the Digimon Tamers  
  
[Because they're all heroes. Especially Takato] he decided and went back to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Takato sought his older cousin out; he needed some advice from a person in his unique position of being in the same general age group.  
  
Kai was doing some Kung-Fu on the beach when Takato spotted him  
  
"Kai, I need your help" he said and sat down  
  
"Okay man, apart from the obvious: what's on your mind?" he asked  
  
"I've been having these really strange feelings. They started when I first invited Jeri to meet Guilmon, but until I found out she was taken by the D-Reaper they've not been an issue. But now, they're stabbing me like knives in the chest dude. It's driving me crazy, Kai. What is wrong with me?" Takato spoke at length, the last part almost a scream.  
  
Kai thought long and hard on this  
  
[Well, if I'm right then the D-Reaper has made a seriously dangerous enemy. And cous' here is starting to grow up] Kai smirked at his analysis  
  
"Well my young cousin; I have thought on it and I have come to a decision: you like Jeri, in a way that is new to you. I think all these feelings are because you care so deeply for Jeri that she has become an integral part of you and because she's gone; you feel incomplete and its making you angry" Kai spoke in a sagely voice  
  
"Say what?" Takato said with a confused look slapped across his face  
  
"You have a crush on Jeri, ya big dope" Kai simplified the explanation and almost laughed as Takato went redder than Guilmon.  
  
When the Digimon in question saw this he was puzzled "Is Takato trying to Digivolve?" the clueless creature asked from the porch  
  
"No, this is blushing. Most humans do it when they're embarrassed or angry. In this case it's safe to say that Takato is embarrassed" Kai snickered at his cousin's predicament  
  
[Hang on Jeri, Takato is coming for you, even if has to fight the D-Reaper alone] Kai rightly assumed what his cousin would do to save this girl who obviously meant a great deal to him  
  
"No need for embarrassment or shame, loving someone as dearly as that is a wonderful thing. It can be scary, but in this situation it's going to give you a power and strength that will make the D-Reaper seem like an insignificant bug" Kai assured Takato these feelings were natural and very good; the boy thanked Kai and left to say goodbye to his parents and leave for the final battle.  
  
However, Guilmon was faster and had better hearing than one might expect and soon Takato's dad knew that there was more to Takato's misery than simply missing a friend. But his father was a very clever man and decided to not tell his wife until Takato was gone and gave away little other than a smile of pride at his son as he told them he was going  
  
[I want to Digivolve with Guilmon, not for the world, not for my friends or family; but for Jeri. I love her] he thought as he spoke  
  
"Digi-modify. Bio-Merge Digivolution activate" he cried as the card was swiped; and the process began.  
  
Everything seemed to be the same since last time his parents saw it happen but when the end result was visible, he was different indeed: his body shape remain the same and his shield was still there. But his colours were different; gold where white should be and silver where red should be. The crown of it all was the huge broadsword in his hand; he called his warhorse that Yamaki built for him and they flew off into the sky, and as he did, he cried out his new name:  
  
"HEROMON" to the world  
  
"He's going at with gusto and a new form" his mother observed  
  
"Well, you know what's going on when a knight like that rides towards danger?" Kai asked, sharing a wink with his uncle  
  
"To slay a dangerous beast that is threatening the world" his aunt guessed  
  
"That too, but mainly to save a damsel in distress" Kai said as his uncle nudged his wife "You mean?" she asked, Kai and Takato's dad nodded and watched the speck that was their kin  
  
"Go save your damsel, kid. And give the D-Reaper hell" Kai yelled and brandished a fist to the air as a salute to Heromon, as he rode to Tokyo with a mission: save Jeri.  
  
Rika and Renamon were coming in from an outer area of Tokyo and Henry and Terriermon were still in the city with Henry's dad at the hacker's headquarters. They approached the D-Reaper and had Bio-Merge Digivolved already into Taomon and Megagargomon and were awaiting Takato and Guilmon  
  
"Where are they?" Henry fumed as they searched the sky.  
  
At the headquarters, Shibumi was looking on his Digimon Scanner when a huge level Digimon came in range  
  
"Whoa, we got company" he said "Mega level Digimon approaching at, Mach 4!" he exclaimed and nearly fell off his chair as the others gathered round it to examine his finding  
  
"Wow, I hope this sucker is on our side. We've enough problems at the moment without marauding Digimon, especially one this powerful" Yamaki said and flicked his lighter lid, a nervous habit.  
  
Megagargomon and Taomon sensed the Digimon before he arrived, but he arrived a split second after they sensed him  
  
"I can't believe it" Renamon said in surprise  
  
"What? Who is he Renamon?" Rika asked,  
  
"That is Heromon, mega level Digimon that is said to arise only once in a thousand years. He is a powerful warrior with a pure heart and a will of tempered steel" Renamon explained.  
  
Megagargomon sized the Digimon up and down "He looks like Gallantmon" Terriermon said and Henry could also see the similarities.  
  
In his examination, Henry saw the crest on the shield Heromon held  
  
[That symbol. I've seen it somewhere before] he tried to remember  
  
[Of course: that's the symbol that Takato designed, he had it engraved on a tablet for Jeri, he saved for weeks to have that done] his metal process finally realised that somehow Takato and Guilmon had turned into this new Digimon  
  
"D-Reaper," the voice was a cross between Takato and Guilmon's and it resulted in a very intimidating growl  
  
"You took someone from me. Someone I love and care for, and if you don't give her back," he paused to draw his sword and point it at the D-Reaper  
  
"You shall wish you had never been created" he finished and charged his enemy.  
  
Rika was speechless "We tried that, it won't work" she cried out as the D- Reaper sent out drones  
  
However Heromon wasn't legendary among the Digimon for no reason. He brought his sword back for a wide strike "Radiant Blade" he called and swung:  
  
An arc of white was generated by the blade and destroyed all the drones that were sent forward  
  
"I told you he was powerful" Renamon said in a matter-of-fact voice as the new Digimon prepared for a new attack.  
  
Rika was to busy contemplating Heromon's words  
  
"What could he have that the D-Reaper has taken?" she wondered aloud,  
  
"Rika. That new Digimon is Takato and Guilmon: somehow they Digivolved into him. And I think I know why" Henry said and looked up at the globe that held Jeri and Culumon  
  
"You don't mean." Rika didn't finish as the facts dawned upon her too. While they were caught in contemplation, Justimon arrived  
  
"Well, what's with the looks?" he asked  
  
"I think, the D-Reaper is doomed" Henry said. Indeed ensuing battle was looking highly in their favour from this point  
  
"I grow tired of playing with you meddlesome Digimon. I think I'll erase you now!" the D-Reaper said and shot out a blob of goo that would erase a Digimon. Heromon was not afraid of this attack and merely blocked it with his shield  
  
"I am far more powerful than any Digimon you have ever encountered. So if you wish to take another breath. Give me Jeri!" Heromon demanded and sent a Radiant Blade attack to the D-Reaper's body.  
  
It cut through the slime like a hot knife through butter  
  
"AAHHGGG" a scream, a female scream assailed Heromon's ears  
  
"Jeri" he exclaimed and flew up to get her  
  
Any drones the enemy sent against him was destroyed on contact, but the lieutenant of the D-Reaper; a grotesque puppet that assumed Jeri's form and voice appeared. Heromon was not in the mood for a simple fight. He held his shield out and like Gallantmon; it lit up and glowed  
  
"SHIELD OF MIGHT" he bellowed.  
  
The ensuing energy blast totally destroyed the puppet creature, and Heromon kept going but as he approached the globe, an interesting event took place. Guilmon, the part everyone assumed was the key for the Mega-form with his Tamer; fell out of the body and was caught by Megagargomon, but Heromon kept going  
  
"Huh?" Guilmon had no idea what was going on, nor did anyone else in the whole city.  
  
Yamaki was barking questions at Shibumi  
  
"How can Takato be in control of the new Digimon, when his own is no longer part of it?" he demanded  
  
"Well Yamaki, I have one theory: a feeling in Takato is so strong, so tempered that he believes he can fight and rescue Jeri with or without Guilmon's help. But I don't know what feelings could trigger an emotional response so strong" he replied.  
  
Melissa, one of the two techs who worked at Hypnos looked at the knight- shaped Digimon "Like a gallant knight of to save his maiden" she joked,  
  
But the statement caught Yamaki's attention  
  
"Would love do it?" he asked Shibumi. He nodded,  
  
Yamaki smirked devilishly [You sly fox, Takato] he mused and watched the rest of the ensuing battle.  
  
Heromon, or rather Takato was still battling drones but he beat them with ease, and each step he silently recited a very old poem he remembered from his English work, each stanza filled him with the hope and reassured him that he loved Jeri, which was becoming easier to admit to his own mind. Finally he reached the globe holding Jeri and smashed it open and he stepped inside. Jeri sat huddled in a corner with Culumon in her lap for comfort  
  
"Hey look Jeri. This guy has come to help" the ever optimistic Culumon said and jumped up and down, using his ears as wings to glide over to Heromon  
  
"Jeri, its me Takato" he said, his normal voice had returned to him  
  
"Takato, is that you?" she asked. Heromon nodded  
  
"Yeah it's me, I promised that we'd rescue you" he said and held his hand out to her.  
  
Jeri cried and took it; she just wanted to get out of this nightmarish place so she clung to Takato for dear life.  
  
Heromon quickly jumped to safety where Henry, Rika, Renamon; Terriermon and to his surprise: Guilmon, were waiting for him as he set Jeri and Culumon down. Rika went to help her friend  
  
"Jeri, are you okay?" she asked as the groggy and frightened girl tried to stand  
  
"I'll be okay Rika, but thanks" she said and smiled.  
  
Takato felt his heart jump at that smile, seeing it again for the first time in a long while. But his attention was again on the D-Reaper  
  
"I think its time that thing was destroyed" he said and turned  
  
"Takato, don't go. Please" Jeri almost begged him not to go but Heromon was going to destroy the D-Reaper, but Justimon stood in his way  
  
"Come on, don't be a fool. You're powerful, not omnipotent. Let us help you" he said  
  
"No. My full power and the will of the boy Takato are enough to destroy the D-Reaper. And we have Jeri to thank for it" an unfamiliar voice said,  
  
"I am Heromon, a legend among my kind. The love that the human, Takato felt for the human Jeri was stronger than the D-Reaper could ever be. With his will and love, and my powerful form; we can destroy it" he said  
  
"I can't let you fight alone" Justimon insisted. Heromon knew he had to act fast or it would be a lot more difficult to destroy the enemy but he needed to move Justimon without hurting him too badly  
  
[Got it] he thought. Faster than Justimon could blink, Heromon was able to punch him hard in the gut; winding him  
  
"Forgive me Justimon" he said and took off towards his own destiny.  
  
Heromon was soon at the centre of the D-Reaper; the vortex where it converged with its component in the Digital world  
  
"Hear me D-Reaper: I am Takato Matsuda. I love Jeri, the girl you took. And for your evil deed, I shall destroy you" he declared in a clear and strong voice  
  
So strong in fact that everyone in the city heard it. Mr. Wong, Melissa, and June were so stunned when they heard him say that, but Yamaki wasn't  
  
[Get him kid], he cheered the boy on.  
  
The D-Reaper laughed "Foolish human, you think by uniting with this Digimon, that you can kill me. I do not think so" it said and aimed all its tentacles at him.  
  
Takato wasn't aware of Heromon, in fact it was Takato who was doing this right now and it was from him that the attack he was about to do gained all its power. As the D-Reaper declared that Takato was to die, Jeri was shaken by a pang of such sadness that she thought she was going to die  
  
[Don't cry Jeri] a familiar voice echoed in her head  
  
"Takato?" she asked aloud, gaining the attention of all present  
  
[Don't be sad for me Jeri: I care about you, I only wish I had said it to your face. But I only realised yesterday how I felt, sorry if the heads-up was a bit late] he said in his nervous voice.  
  
Jeri could just see him blush and scratch the back of his head in embarrassment "That's okay, but just so you know: I feel the same way, goggle head" she jibed playfully at him. He was speechless for a second  
  
[Yeah, okay. Well, I gotta go and be all heroic now, see you later] he said nervously; the voce disappeared.  
  
Jeri smiled, even though she was still crying "Okay, you big goofball, save the world and be heroic, for me" she said, 'big goofball' being a term of affection, as she hugged Culumon and her Digivice to her chest.  
  
Inside the beast, Takato turned his attention to the enemy and focused his energy; he began to glow white. The D-Reaper's tentacles were disintegrated on contact with the light  
  
"What, what is this?" it asked as the glowing light got brighter and brighter  
  
"This is your end, D-Reaper" Takato said before screaming:  
  
"HERO'S WILL" as loud as he could.  
  
Again, everyone heard that voice; Takato's; and they all saw a pulsing light inside the D-Reaper. Shibumi was looking at some readings  
  
"Wong, check this out. If that is what I think it is, then the Juggernaut program won't be needed" he said excitedly, Yamaki however saw another problem  
  
"Will Takato survive this though?" he asked, the silence was a clear indicator that no one knew, but they all prayed for his survival.  
  
Before another word was spoken; the light penetrated the D-Reaper's skin and began to destroy it  
  
"He's doing it" Henry said and shouted encouragement to his friend  
  
Soon, everyone was shouting, Renamon, Guilmon, Terriermon, Justimon and Rika. Beelzamon, Culumon but of all of them, the loudest was easily Jeri. Takato was almost going to give in, he thought all he strength wasn't enough; but when he heard Jeri's words of encouragement he grew stronger. But the D-Reaper was tricky  
  
"You know if I defeat you. I'll torture Jeri before I delete her, and you shall watch it all" it gloated, a bad mistake, because when Takato heard this, something snapped deep inside of him.  
  
And when this something snapped, power, more power than Takato had ever felt rushed through his veins and he gave a final cry and forced all the power he had outwards  
  
"WHAT, NO. NOO, agg" the D-Reaper gurgled its last breath before it was totally destroyed by the powerful attack, both in the real world and the Digital world.  
  
As the blast occurred, everyone outside had to shield their eyes from the brightness of it, but it soon passed: the city had been almost totally restored bar some minor damage to the buildings  
  
"Look!" Renamon pointed to a floating figure in the sky: it was Takato. Heromon was gone; probably off to the Digital world to save it from any remaining evil and Takato was left in the unfortunate position of being up in the sky without the ability to fly and slowly, gravity was taking effect. But Rika was faster  
  
"Renamon, go and get him" she said  
  
"Right," the fox like Digimon said and zipped over to the area where Takato was and caught him.  
  
Renamon brought the obviously exhausted Takato back to the rooftop; it hadn't taken long for all the adults to join the Tamers to check up on the boy, all was quiet as Renamon gently laid Takato on the ground. Jeri was the first one to touch him by taking his hand gently as Yamaki felt for a pulse  
  
"He's alive. Come on; he needs medical attention" he said and quickly called the medics from the outer district to come in a helicopter with a good few staff.  
  
Soon the whir of rotors filled the air and a large helicopter landed on the roof; a pair of medics came out with a gurney and they lifted Takato onto it  
  
"I'm coming with him" Jeri said and held his hand the whole way into the chopper, Guilmon followed.  
  
The medic tried to stop him but a good growl and showing of the claws was all it took to convince him otherwise  
  
"It's okay, I won't hurt anyone. Promise" Guilmon said as he stood beside Jeri and placed his paw on his Tamer's leg  
  
"He's gotten thinner Jeri" Guilmon said with worry as they took off.  
  
Takato's parents were soon at the hospital, and for an ulterior reason, so was Kai. He was hunting the hallways when he saw Guilmon  
  
[When in doubt, ask the dumb red dinosaur] he connived and spoke  
  
"Hey Guilmon: where's the famous Jeri?" he asked  
  
"Oh, Jeri's over there" he said and pointed to her.  
  
Jeri was sitting by Takato's bed when Kai came in  
  
"So, you're the one that made my cousin into the warrior hero he is today. He must care about you a lot" Kai said as the machines beeped to indicate how Takato was.  
  
While Kai asked Jeri about her relationship with Takato, Guilmon and Takato's parents came in with a doctor in tow  
  
"Well, it seems our friend here is going to be fine. He's lost about 5% of his body mass and some blood. Otherwise, he's fine. When he wakes up, he'll be a little groggy though" she said and ticked a few boxes on his chart.  
  
It was late into the night when Takato woke up: the first person he saw was Jeri, his parents had gone for coffee, the other Tamers and Digimon were gone. He smiled and brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear, his finger brushed against her cheek  
  
"Wha, who?" Jeri cried out at she jolted awake from the contact.  
  
It woke Guilmon too, but the Digimon could see that a somewhat private moment was going to take place and quietly snuck out to tell Renamon and Terriermon the good news and left his Tamer to go about his business.  
  
Jeri hugged the life out of Takato "Thank you, Takato" Jeri mumbled,  
  
A light chuckle from Takato made her look up  
  
"Actually Jeri, I should be thanking you" he said, gripping Jeri like she was his lifesaver.  
  
Jeri blinked and stepped out of the embrace "Why are you thanking me?" she asked, obviously confused  
  
"If anyone else had been in that thing, the battle could have gone any way, we may have lost, and we may of one. But you, I felt something when it took you, I thought I was going to go mad. Jeri, I like you in a way that's new to me, but my cousin said, that it's likely that you're my first crush, and I'm glad that its you" he said.  
  
Jeri had no idea about most of what Takato had said other than he liked her  
  
"Ugh, I knew trying to sound like Kai wouldn't work. To cut a long story short, without you; Guilmon and I wouldn't have been able to Digivolve into Heromon" he said, blushing as he spoke,  
  
He was unaware that Heromon was another Digimon entirely. Rika, Henry, Terriermon, Renamon and Guilmon were watching the sweet exchange  
  
[Don't stuff up now Goggle-head] Rika silently jabbed Takato playfully.  
  
Terriermon and the other Digimon had no idea what was going on, even Guilmon who knew his Tamer well wasn't quite sure he knew exactly what was happening. Henry on the other hand had a fair idea why Takato liked Jeri: she'd had faith in him when his other friends thought he'd gone crazy or was lying about Guilmon. Even though now most of them knew the red dinosaur existed, Jeri's doubtless faith had made an impression on Takato  
  
"I think we should leave lover-boy alone, eh" he said and elbowed Rika  
  
"Okay, lets go" she grumbled. Henry grinned and slipped his arm around her waist  
  
"Don't get comfortable" she growled, but her blush said otherwise.  
  
The Digimon followed "Humans are an odd bunch" Renamon said as they left. Guilmon turned back to see his Tamer engaged in a soft kiss with Jeri  
  
"Why is Takato trying to eat Jeri's face?" he asked the air around him before leaving, not knowing he had just basked in pure love.  
  
The End 


End file.
